


Liam Jones Misses His Little Brother

by AnnaAmell



Series: Saving Killian Jones and His Brother [2]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Backstory, Brotherhood, Canon Temporary Character Death, Character Development, F/M, Gen, Temporary Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-02
Updated: 2016-01-02
Packaged: 2018-05-11 06:29:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5616925
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnnaAmell/pseuds/AnnaAmell
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is intended to be a companion piece to my story, Saving My Friend’s Pirate…and His Brother from the perspective of Liam Jones.  It’s not necessary to read the other story first, but the end may make more sense with it.  This story honestly got away from me a little bit and also became Liam’s commentary on the long life of his little (sorry, younger) brother.  I should probably warn you that it also got a little angstier than I originally intended (it deals with Killian’s darkest days).</p>
            </blockquote>





	Liam Jones Misses His Little Brother

Liam Jones misses his little brother. It has become the defining facet of his personality. Time works differently in the Underworld, but he thinks he’s missed Killian for centuries. He’s worried for him for just as long. The Underworld—at least this in-between place of waiting—has been nothing like he expected. Rather than the afterlife, he has found himself in some sort of half-life…half-un-life?…that is almost completely stagnant. 

All of the souls trapped in this place seem to be here because they died with regrets—with things left unfinished—and he is certainly no different. He regrets that he ever heard the accursed name of “Neverland.” He regrets—oh, how he regrets!—trusting his thrice damned king and discounting his brother’s worries. He regrets his flippant attempt to reassure Killian by testing out the accursed Dreamshade on his own arm. He regrets finding the accursed boy, Pan, and forcing him to tell them all he knew about the restorative properties of Neverland’s water. He regrets forcing his little brother to watch him die…twice. He regrets leaving his brother alone to deal with their king’s treachery—with his death—with the crew…. He regrets not being able to stand with Killian as he fought for his love…his Milah. He regrets not hunting down their no-good father and killing the cur himself so that Killian would never have been put in that position. He regrets…so many things; but mostly, he just wants his brother.

Despite the stagnant nature of this place, Liam Jones has not been idle. His worry—his fear, if he is being honest—for his little brother has given him a reason to fight the lethargy that characterizes this forsaken place. Killian gets his stubbornness from his big brother after all, and Liam has been determined to piece together everything he can of his little brothers life since that last desperate parting. The dead may not be able to watch the living, but he has still found a way to keep track of his brother’s exploits. It is simple really: to follow Killian’s life, he must simply be willing to ask everyone who comes to this place if they knew his brother. A frightening number of the dead encountered his brother in life, and some have been more forthcoming than others in their willingness to provide details of their acquaintance. It is a good thing that Liam is a stubborn man; and perhaps more importantly, a concerned older brother.

Most of what he learns of his little brother breaks his heart. It seems that, upon losing Liam, Killian immediately turned to piracy (rather than serve the corrupt king who sent them to Neverland), and he was able to convince a large portion of their crew to follow him. The idea of his hopeful brother—who so loved his “good form”—as a pirate is unfathomable to Liam. What must Killian have been feeling in that moment? Liam should have been there…if only he had not been so…foolish…if only…. It seems that—for a long time at least—things only went downhill from there.

From a sailor by the name of Edgar, Liam receives his first account of his brother’s decline into a world of little but pain and betrayal. Liam remembers Edgar a bit. He joined the Jewel of the Realm for that last fateful voyage. He seems to recall that he was a good sailor, but little else. It seems that Edgar was a plant by the king, and that Killian found him in hi…the Captain’s cabin, drinking Liam’s private store of wine—wine that Killian knew Liam had been saving to celebrate their heroic return from what became an ill-fated voyage. Edgar bragged that he had just sent a bird informing the king of all that had transpired in Neverland and that he had told the Royal Navy where the Jewel (now renamed the Jolly Roger) might be found. The man was clearly drunk on both his supposed victory and the stolen wine. Killian made him walk the plank. Two Navy ships found the Jewel, but Killian and his crew sent them to the bottom—Liam got that information from the souls that served aboard those two vessels. 

It kept getting worse. Another sailor, this one named Barnaby apparently stole from hi…Killian’s cabin. Neither Liam nor Killian had ever owned much of value; but what little they did have, was kept safe in that cabin. Amongst these few treasures was the sextant that Liam gave Killian in commemoration of their journey to Neverland and a small ring that Liam had purchased on receiving his commission as captain of the Jewel. This fool Barnaby took both, along with a quantity of gold and scarpered off the ship while it was in port for resupply. Killian apparently tracked him down in his family’s home, and demanded his property back at the point of a sword. The fool criticized Killian’s skills as Captain, and told him that it was obvious he was only half the man that Liam was. It seems that his idiocy led him to tell Killian that he had lost his right hand man and so he was merely One Handed Jones now. Killian killed him in front of his wife. Oh, Killian! He wept for his little brother when he heard this. How much pain must he have been—how far from sanity—in every moment of every day to fall so far?!

And so it continued. Liam kept track of his little brother’s piratical exploits by interrogating the newly dead, both hoping and fearing that they might number among Captain Jones’s victims. As the quantity of those victims grew (most, it must be said, from the corrupt Royal Navy they had both once proudly served), so too did his abject fear for his brother. Killian could do nothing that would make Liam’s love fade, but Liam feared greatly that his little brother would go so far into the dark that he would never be able to find his way back to the light.

Something changed, and the number of those victims slowed drastically. The men who fell at the hand of Captain Jones began to speak of a Lady Pirate who fought as an equal by his side. Liam’s fear for his brother’s soul began to wane slightly. If he had found a lass…if his heart was still capable of love…then it meant that it still worked…and there was still hope…. Daring to hope in the Underworld is a tricky proposition, but Liam hoped anyway—until those hopes were dashed…when he met Milah upon her entrance to the Underworld. Milah was inconsolable in those first terrible days. She knew who Liam was at once—Killian had spoken of him often—and she told Liam, through angry tears, everything about her time with his little brother. She explained about her husband, the village coward, and the complete misery of her existence. She spoke of the light of adventure Killian’s stories brought to her life, and she told him of the deception she begged Killian to make to help her escape a loveless marriage. Although Liam cringed at the thought of his brother helping a woman abandon her son, he could not help but be proud that, even as a pirate, his brother had the good form to aid a lady seeking to escape an untenable situation. Milah spoke of his little brother’s kindness to her, and that he initially refused to behave as anything but a gentleman. She explained that their initial attraction had turned to love in the fullness of time; and that although they could not be married in law, they were married in deed. It seems that Milah quieted something in Killian; and although he still played the pirate, his raids became more thoughtful and less bloody. Milah spoke lovingly of their decade together; and it would have warmed Liam’s heart if he had not been sitting across from the proof that something had happened to end his brother’s happiness once again. 

Finally, Milah told Liam of her former husband—now somehow become the Dark One of legend. She told him how he found them, and how his stupidly heroic, beloved little brother had faced him alone rather than run. She told him that she had followed and discovered the Dark One with his hand in Liam’s little brother’s chest, and that she negotiated with the creature Rumplestiltskin had become while he tortured Killian with a sword. She told him of a desperate deal: a magic bean for their lives. She told him of the creature’s demand for an explanation for her abandonment, and her ill-advised use of the truth that she had been miserable because she had never loved her cowardly husband. Lastly, she told him of his little brother tied to the mast of their own ship as her heart was magically removed from her chest, that he had broken free to hold her as her heart was crushed, and of her desperation to tell him that she loved him one last time. 

Milah, and now Liam, were terrified. They both expected Killian to arrive in the Underworld shortly. If the Dark One murdered his own wife, surely he would likewise murder her new husband. As time passed, and he still did not appear, their fear only grew. What could the Dark One be doing to Killian Jones? Was he hurt—was he being tortured even as they worried over his fate? For the first time since arriving in the Underworld, Liam found himself hoping for his little brother’s death. There are worse things, after all, than death; and his imagination was haunting him with the image of them all happening to his brother.

More and more time passed, and still no word came. Killian did not appear, nor did any man who had died by his side or at his hand. Where was he? Finally, a pair of witnesses entered the Underworld: two sailors from the Jolly Roger. Killian was alive and in Neverland. He was working for Pan. He had survived his encounter with the Dark One only because the Dark One wanted him to live with his failure to protect the woman he loved. When he refused to give up the magic bean the Dark One coveted, the Dark One took his left hand—his hand!!!!—incorrectly thinking he held the bean inside. Once again, Liam wept for his clever little brother as he thought of what he had endured alone, but for his crew. He had to watch as Milah’s body was lowered into the sea, just as he had once had to watch Liam’s own burial. He had to endure the cauterization of his now handless wrist, and apparently there had been a fever of some duration. He had taken to wearing a hook on that wrist, and he no longer called himself Killian Jones. Something had broken, perhaps irrevocably, in his little brother; and he now went by the moniker of Captain Hook. I seemed that he now lived only for revenge against the Dark One, who he now named as Crocodile. Liam wept, and he wished more than ever that he could stand by his side—could hold his little brother—for just one moment of time. He wished that Killian could know for at least that moment how much he was still loved—how much he would always be loved.

Time continued its stagnant march in the Underworld, and Liam (often accompanied by Milah) continued to search for news of Killian Jones. Captain Hook’s agreement with Pan was apparently continuing, and sometimes decades passed without news. However, Liam was not about to let a little thing like time keep him from missing and caring about his brother. Occasional new arrivals were able to relate some tidbit of information. It seemed that Pan occasionally sent Kil…Hook out into the realms on some mission or other, and these missions sometimes came with a body count. At one point, what must have been half of the crew of the Jolly Roger appeared—victims of something called the Cave of Echoes. The picture these departed souls painted bore little resemblance to the brother Liam remembered or to the man that Milah had fallen in love with. With the exception of some sort of code and a few moments of chivalry and honor, it seemed that Captain Hook and his desire for revenge had totally subsumed the good man that was Killian Jones. Against, Pan’s objections, he nearly adopted Millah’s son, Baelfire, somehow still alive (and still a boy) after all this time; but when the boy rejected him, he turned him over to Pan to save the lives of his crew. This news was quite a blow to Milah. Finally, after what must have been centuries, a newcomer (a twisted man-child by the name of Rufio) appeared with much more welcome, if grisly news. He had been killed by Captain Hook as Hook worked to escape Neverland. Hook had broken with Pan and was headed to the Enchanted Forest to make yet another attempt at his revenge.

Now finally free of Neverland, Captain Hook and the Jolly Roger began to reestablish a reputation for themselves in the Enchanted Forest, and Liam soon had more witnesses to his brother’s resurgence of piracy and villainy. If the accounts of the Dark One’s guards are accurate, Hook staged a one-man raid—does his little brother no longer care if he lives or dies?!—on the Dark One’s home in an attempt to find out how to kill him from a lady imprisoned there. Somehow, he then becomes connected to the Evil Queen—a woman whose hundreds of victims populate the Underworld with a great deal of unfinished business. 

At this point, Captain Hook encountered one of Liam’s greatest regrets: their father, Brennan Jones. Although Liam has since spoken with the man, he is a still a little fuzzy on the details of the encounter with Hook. It is possible that the deadly rage he felt towards the man who left him and his little brother to the not-so-tender mercies of an unknown captain affected his memory slightly. Liam didn’t kill him—yes, the dead can die, after a fashion—but it was honestly a near thing, and he is not entirely sure he is not going to revisit that decision. His very presence has brought back all of his old feelings on the subject. What sort of man…monster…could sell his boys—his children into slavery?! The…degradations and depravations…that they suffered under their…owner…he tried (usually unsuccessfully) to save Killian from the worst of it…why weren’t they enough…. To make it worse, the man tried (first with Hook and later with Liam) to explain that he was sorry…that he had changed. He offered as proof, the fact that he had somehow found True Love and had another son…named Liam…. Apparently that is what broke Killian’s (and it must have been Killian for a moment, and not Hook) desire to spare the man. His little brother could forgive the abandonment…the slavey!, but he could not forgive his father for replacing Liam—oh Killian!—and for seemingly planning to abandon that replacement as well….

After that most disturbing news, Liam loses track of his brother again for decades. In fact, none of the new arrivals for what he estimates to be about thirty years hail from the Enchanted Forest at all. One of the last arrivals from that land, a man who goes only by the name of Henry, tells vague tales of a planned Dark Curse—intended to take away the happy endings of all of the land’s inhabitants. The next Enchanted Forest resident to arrive seems to go alternately by the name of Graham Humbert and the moniker of Huntsman. He knows nothing of Liam’s brother, but he speaks of the Curse, a town called Storybrooke, and of the blond-haired Savior who was prophesized to the end the Curse. When Graham speaks of Emma Swan, Liam can practically see the lost hope of love in his eyes. Something in those eyes reminds him of the look Milah sometimes gets when she talks about Killian. Graham believes his heart was crushed by the Evil Queen, and Liam hopes that the fact that she still lives means that his brother is still intact…somewhere. The news that the Curse is broken comes from a young man named Gus, and this is enough to allow Graham to move on to…wherever souls go when they no longer have unfinished business.

A large quantity of people who somehow weathered the Curse without being removed from the Enchanted Forest arrive en masse. They speak of having their hearts crushed by a witch named Cora. They also mention a man with a hook for a hand that seemed to be working witch Cora, and who apparently tried to convince her that such carnage was unnecessary. Liam latched onto that last detail like a dog with a bone. The next arrival with any information of worth regarding Hook is the witch Cora herself. Liam is unusually careful in his approach with her, but manages to still attain the information that Hook is still alive and in Storybrooke, although he was apparently injured by some sort of wheeled conveyance known as a car. Hook, it seems, switched his alliance from Regina to Cora before the Curse was cast and was thus protected from its effects. Hook seems to have been instrumental in getting Cora to Storybrooke, but Cora is apparently annoyed by his attraction to Emma Swan. Reportedly, the lass betrayed him and left him at the mercy of a giant at the top of a beanstalk, before finally besting him in a swordfight—although from Cora’s account of that fight, Liam has a feeling that his little brother may have thrown the outcome. Is his little brother’s heart finally starting to heal?  
Only a little time passes before Liam has the displeasure of meeting the duo of Greg and Tamara. They speak of kidnapping his brother and torturing him. Killian escaped and seems to have begun working with the Savior and her family to stop their plan to destroy all of Storybrooke; although from an overheard conversation, they believe he may have decided to abandon the town to its fate. As if that is not enough news to guarantee his ire, they seem proud of the fact that they have succeeded in kidnapping Emma Swan’s son and giving him to Pan.

Time passes, and Liam receives little news of his brother. Pan is reticent in his defeat, and Liam wants nothing to do with his half-truths. Scattered newcomers speak of a new Curse, the loss of the Savior, and a return to the Enchanted Forest from Storybrooke. A few speak of a group of pirates, led by Captain Hook, who had begun robbing travelers on the roadway. One man relates an account of a grand sword battle between Captains Hook and Blackbeard over the fate of the Jolly Roger. Apparently, Captain Hook won the day. 

Rumplestiltskin, Captain Hook’s Crocodile, arrives in the Underworld one dismal day. Liam wants no news from this creature—he wants to rearrange his face—he wants to run him through…he wants…. He only refrains because he will do Killian no good upon his death if he is not here to welcome him, and Rumplestiltskin is soon introduced into the ranks of the previous Dark Ones here in the Underworld. Milah briefly confronts the Crocodile, although she asks Liam to stay away. She reassures him that she is fine afterwards, but she says she needs a few days to consider what he said. Finally, she ends the suspense: Rumplestiltskin apparently taunted her with the news that Killian has fallen in love with another, one Emma Swan. Shortly after this, the Crocodile is…gone. No one seems to know, or care, what happened; but the rumor that he was somehow returned to life begins to spread.

Finally, a much more reliable source of information arrives: Baelfire. It is a few days before Liam gets a chance to speak to the man, who now goes by the name of Neil. He died to bring his father, of all people, back from the dead. Milah deserves some time with her son, and it would certainly be bad form to interrupt that time with his questions. Eventually, Milah (bless her heart) brings Neil to him. For the first time since encountering Milah, Liam stands in front of someone who actually knows his brother well. Neil’s story is long; and at another time, Liam might find it interesting. However, he desires now to only hear about his brother. Neil speaks extensively of Neverland and of the rescue mission the Savior mounted to save Henry (her son with Neil). He speaks of the fact that Captain Hook offered his ship and his services for the task. He speaks of Killian’s desire to impress Miss Swan and of the fact that he was trying to take the place that belonged to Neil. Liam might have despaired at his brother’s behavior had Neil not also mentioned that he had not seen Miss Swan for at least a decade prior to this, and he had never met Henry before. Obviously, Miss Swan is a free woman and is thus able to choose her own beau. Neil speaks of young Henry’s rescue and of Pan’s plan to infiltrate Storybrooke by impersonating the young boy. He speaks of Killian risking his life to help destroy Pan’s shadow once and for all, and of the fact that the heroes won through the sacrifice of Neil’s father (Milah looks skeptical at this). He speaks of the new Curse, and Miss Swan’s need to stay behind (without her memories) to prevent Henry from being abandoned. He speaks of Killian riding off alone upon their return to the Enchanted Forest. He speaks of sending Killian a note, telling him to get to Miss Swan, and a memory potion. Finally, he speaks of his reconciliation with Killian and his own death in the arms of Miss Swan.

A little more time passes, but Liam has gotten very good at waiting. A woman named Cruella DeVille has little to say about Killian (other than that he is allied with Miss Swan and the heroes), but she has quite a bit to say about Miss Swan who killed her for threatening Henry (of course you remove the woman threatening to kill your child by any means necessary). The more Liam hears about Miss Emma Swan, the more he admires her and hopes his brother may finally find happiness with her. 

A man by the name of Percival, from a place called Camelot, tells a strange tale of an Evil Queen pretending to be the Savior; but the wizard called Merlin brings the most disturbing news. From him, Liam learns that Miss Swan took on the power of the Dark One to save the Evil Queen who is now her friend. He learns that Killian and her family traveled to Camelot to save her, and that Killian is seen by them as a hero—as a villain redeemed. He learns of the love his little brother shares with this brave woman and how it helped her to hold back the Darkness. He learns that she was nearly free of that Darkness, but gave into it (at the risk of her own soul) to save Killian’s life. He learns that in saving him, she turned his little brother into a Dark One against his will; and he was unable to fight its power. He learns that his brother is the reason that this Merlin stands before him now in the Underworld. Merlin tries to be reassuring, promising that there are still paths that bring hope. However, Liam would be more comforted if this supposed prophet had seen clearly enough to keep his brother safe in the first place.

Finally…finally comes the newcomer that Liam Jones has been simultaneously hoping for and dreading to see for centuries. Killian Jones is dead, and Liam is there to welcome him to the Underworld. His first thought—once he gets through his initial bout of hugging—is that, despite being the best thing he has ever beheld, his little brother looks dreadful. There is a weariness to his bearing that Liam has never seen before. His face is pale and his hair disheveled, and his eyes…hold a terrible desperation and pain…and…is that fear?! They are both crying by that point, and Liam has to haul him in for another equally long hug…he has centuries to make up for after all. His first priority is to get Killian away from prying eyes (although Hades has eyes everywhere) and to somewhere more comfortable. His quarters are a bit Spartan (like everything else here), but they will have to suffice. He is a bit alarmed at how tractable Killian is being. It seems that the stubbornness he once despaired of—and secretly delighted in—has been drained from his brother. After another yet round of hugging—he has mentioned that he missed his brother—Liam sits Killian down before taking a seat next to him (and perhaps slinging an arm around his shoulders). His little brother is clinging to his shirt with his one remaining hand, and Liam…melts. Leaning over to place a kiss on the messy head, Liam asks Killian what happened. Killian…stiffens…now that is fear. Does Killian think that Liam could possibly feel anything but love towards his dear, little brother? If so, that is certainly something that big brother can fix. It takes but a few moments to explain that Liam already knows the basics of all but the most recent events. A little embarrassedly he explains that he may have made keeping track of his little brother into…something…of a hobby…or maybe an un-life’s work. Killian hesitantly begins to apologize for being a disappointment, and Liam stops him with a firmer grip on his shoulders and a tiny shake. It takes another few moments to reassure Killian that he is still his beloved little brother—that he loves him no matter what he has done—that he is so proud of Killian for fighting his way back to the light and to love. Liam has barely finished before his arms are full as his little brother practically lunges into another hug, crying even more desperately. 

From there, the story comes in fits and starts. Killian tried to fight the Darkness; and, although he succeeded in a few instances, it overwhelmed him. Its influence led him to say terrible things to the woman he loves, and it was his fault that her family and friends were put in danger. He was only able to really fight back when he saw Miss Swan being hurt and her family being threatened. He was able to capture all of the Darkness within himself long enough for Miss Swan to kill him to destroy that Darkness. He is quick to reassure Liam that she had no choice—that she did not want to do it. His besotted little brother is desperately worried about his lady love. After all, he had apparently promised her that he was a survivor, and he is heartbroken to have betrayed that promise. Liam tries to encourage him by reminding him of the lady’s strength; and when that does not seem sufficient, he initiates a further round of hugging.

Eventually, Liam gently explains to Killian that Milah is here and asks if he would like to see her. Liam accompanies Killian to the meeting but gives them their privacy, spying only a lingering hug and forehead kiss from his brother. They are both crying when they part, but Liam hopes that they are the healing sort of tears. As for their father, they both agree that is a meeting that neither of them really need to repeat. 

A very short time after Killian’s arrival, there is an unprecedented commotion. Apparently, the living have invaded the abode of the dead, and Killian’s new family have come to take him home. He hopes they have a solid plan because Liam knows firsthand just how destructive lost hope can be in this place. It takes a little while to find the group as they have apparently been waylaid by a number of the Underworld’s inhabitants. The reason for this is made readily apparent when Liam realizes that one of the party is the infamous Evil Queen. Liam has steered Killian clear of anyone who might wish to rehash the past, but the Evil Queen has had no such guide. They finally come upon the group (what is the Crocodile doing here?!), and watching his little brother’s reunion with his Miss Swan (is that his old ring on that chain around her neck?) almost makes up for the centuries of missing him. He’s got his hand buried in her hair and she’s trying to hug him and clutch his hook to her chest at the same time. It takes a while and a number of hugs–young Henry practically tackled Killian–before they finally get around to introductions. He offers Miss Swan–please call me Emma–a smile and the title of Little Sister. Her response is a shaky smile and a hug. He shakes young Henry’s hand, before ruffling the boys hair. Lady Mary Margaret and Lady Regina (formerly the Evil Queen) he favors with a gentlemanly bow and a kiss on the hand. Finally, with a distinct smirk of mischief, Killian introduces him to David, Emma’s father. There is a distinct feeling that this is a momentous occasion.

The plan is quickly explained. They believe they can avoid the “life for a life” resurrection clause if Emma removes her heart, splits it, and gives half to Killian. The panic is back on his little brother’s face, and Liam feels drawn to put a bolstering hand on his shoulder. For her part, Emma clutches Killian even tighter if possible. He quickly turns to the rest of the group and suggests that this might better be discussed away from prying eyes, and they agree to repair to his quarters.

Emma seems convinced that the plan will work and is determined to carry it out. For his part, Killian’s reluctance seems to stem from two primary objections. He fears for Emma’s life, and he does not want to leave Liam here alone. Quickly pulling him aside, Liam reassures his little brother (he’s never been so happy to be corrected that it is actually “younger” brother!) that all he wants is his happiness. They’ll see each other again–he doesn’t mind waiting now that he knows Killian has found love and a chance at happiness–but Killian can’t abandon this woman that is willing to attempt to thwart death itself. They don’t return to the group until Killian reluctantly nods. Once back with the rest, Killian explains his other objection: he’s worried that the procedure will kill Emma because they are not True Love. Liam and Henry scoff almost in unison, earning him a conspiratorial smile from the lad, and Regina, Robin, and Emma’s parents roll their eyes. Emma is quick to remind Killian that they love each other; and after a brief kiss, he gently reminds her that they’ve tried True Loves kiss multiple times with no success. It’s Emma’s turn to scoff. Apparently she doesn’t care if their kisses can’t break curses, she’s come to the Underworld to get him because of love and that’s strong enough for her. It will work, she promises, unless…he can’t forgive her, and he doesn’t want to come home. The look on her face is just…lost, and Killian wastes no time in pulling her into a fervent embrace. Killian agrees after that, of course, and Liam is left with the very strong desire to hunt down every person whose ever hurt his new little sister to make them pay for her pain. The process itself goes smoothly, and Liam keeps a hand on Killian’s shoulder throughout. He only moves once half of Emma’s heart has been deposited in Killian’s chest, and the lady herself has locked him into another embrace. Liam dropped back to drop his hand on the shoulder of the boy who has probably become his nephew. The hugging might have gone on forever had not the Lady Regina not interrupted the lovebirds to claim a hug of her own.

While Killian is set upon by the others, Liam makes a quiet inquiry of Emma regarding to Crocodile’s presence. She assures him that she knows the man isn’t to be trusted, and then she sheepishly admits to blackmailing him into helping. Liam rewards this extraordinary bit of news with a hug and a whispered thanks for loving his little brother that leaves the lass blushing most charmingly.

Too soon, it is time to lead them out. As they walk, Liam can hardly stop looking at his little brother. He wants to hold this memory of his brother happily in the arms of his True Love through all the lonely years of waiting to come. Killian seems to be of a similar mind, if the frequent glances Liam catches are any indication. Finally, Liam can go no farther without bringing down Hades’ ire, and so he takes his leave with a hug for Emma, another too-short hug for His little brother, and a last ruffle of Henry’s hair. He doesn’t go too far, however, as he wants to hold the feeling of being so close to Killian in his heart for as long as he may. Instead he moves just out of sight of the group and watches them walk away.

Liam feels the first stirrings of disquiet when the Crocodile moves swiftly past his hidden position, only to return moments later with the rest of the Dark Ones in tow. Of course he follows them. They are heading in the direction that he last saw his little brother, and there is no way that they can mean to do anything good. What does he care about the chance of Hades’ wrath when his little brother might be in danger? 

Liam finds his brother’s group at something of a standoff with the Dark Ones. Regina and Mary Margaret seem to be pulling David away from the Crocodile as Robin keeps watch. Emma is glowing with magical light and has planted herself firmly in front of her son and her love. The look on her face is…. Killian stands firm with his arm around Henry and his hook raised in a shaking defense. He looks like a man going to the gallows…. Liam doesn’t hesitate to take up position on Henry’s other side. This is Killian’s family now–that makes it his as well–and he will not let these people fall without a fight. Regina gives him a long look before smirking and theatrically producing the Dark One’s dagger. She orders the Crocodile to send his friends away….and suddenly Hades makes his presence known. Liam cannot help but stiffen in alarm, causing Killian and Henry to both look his way in concern. If Hades thinks he was trying to escape…. Regina, meanwhile, seems to be making a deal with the Lord of the Underworld; and Liam suddenly finds himself alive, and the Crocodile sentenced to the Underworld in his place. Before Liam can do more than stare blankly at his little brother, Emma and Henry have caught him up in a joint hug and begin to spin him around. Killian is dipping Regina into a hug as she briskly shakes him off with a small smile. Then Killian is there, in front of him, telling him it’s time to go home.


End file.
